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Hoping for peace and maybe even some fun, she instead found herself engulfed in a war—a perpetual conflict with the two parts of her that had been there for as long as she could remember.
With each painting, the war intensified, as the parts of her she believed were healed long ago resurfaced and demanded attention. Pushing forward in her painting journey, Victoria committed to learning the craft. In the process, though, something else began to happen. With each stroke of the brush and scrape of the palette knife, she was pulled further into an internal battle designed not to defeat her, but rather to give her safe space to heal decades-old emotional wounds.
Perpetual Conflict is an intensely raw and honest story chronicling Victoria’s journey through art and emotional conflict, as she traveled down the long, painful path to redemption.
“Enchanting, even charming, and deeply engaging, Victoria Wolf’s self-teaching journey through the Perpetual Conflict within herself into a genuine and balanced artist is inspirational. Creative energy surges throughout this vivid account of her rebound from the loss of a treasured business into a truly self-aware survivor of a history of early loss and self-condemnation. This is a story that leaves the reader with a wonderful outlet for healing through action, introspection, and art.”
—Chris Loeffler, LCSW, foraysintorelationship.com
“Wolf has crafted a work of art with a strong sense of personality and depth, much more so than the typical coffee-table art books that are so often light on text and explanation. There’s a fighting spirit to Wolf that endures even through moments of deep despair, and the work builds to form an overall picture of the conflict, and ultimately one of greater understanding and triumph, which is admirable, moving, and interesting to engage with from cover to cover. Overall, I would not hesitate to recommend Perpetual Conflict to fans of multimedia works that explore our own personal connection and journey through art.”
—K.C. Finn, Readers’ Favorite
“Well acquainted with internal conflict, Victoria candidly shares her deepest and most shameful struggles. She then offers the remarkable insights she has gained personally, as a professional and as an artist.
With each vibrant, colorful picture, painted by word or brush, Victoria Ruth Wolf, offers a fresh look at failure. She offers hope and encouragement. Settle in to this journey of “art and redemption,” and buckle up because you’re in for quite an adventure.”
—Susie Hayes, Life and Business Coach, Speaker,
Author of FREED from Stuck!
“The prolific nature of Wolf’s artistic ability means that the quilting of paint as it weaves through stories is so expansive that, for the reader, it paints a remarkable composite overview of one woman’s journey in the hope of inspiring a reader to accept their own. Wolf highlights the parallel between painting on a blank canvas and reshaping one’s life story, with an emphasis on the importance of taking control of one’s own narrative, embarking on our own journey of self-discovery and transformation.”
—Jamie Michele, Readers’ Favorite
“Courageous and inspiring. Perpetual Conflict is proof that self-exploration through art is not only a powerful tool for personal growth and development, but also a fantastic reminder that we always have a choice to learn and expand our personal wisdom. Victoria’s voice(s) remind us of our own powerful angels and devils that sit on our shoulders and within our thoughts, constantly checking and challenging us to be better, or to give in and rest. This book will inspire anyone who wants to create but believes they can’t. More importantly, it takes the reader on an uplifting journey of self-discovery. Chances are, Victoria’s stories will resonate with anyone who has felt lost at some point and is seeking hope. You too just may find the answers swirling between the brush, the paints, and the canvas!”
—Sherry Hess, Owner of The Flavor Remedy/
Spirit Animal Artist
“…a unique and powerful memoir, this book reveals Victoria’s painting journey, allowing her to reflect, create, and grow. It also forced her to confront her internal beliefs, learn to be gentler, and trust her remarkable skills. Victoria’s success is an inspiration to all women. Some women struggle with learning to feel pride in their accomplishments and honor them. Others need a reminder of how important it is to marry someone who supports you emotionally, physically, and intellectually.”
—Emma Megan, Readers’ Favorite
“Victoria Wolf’s illustrated memoir Perpetual Conflict is about achieving control over the canvas of one’s life through creative expression. The connection between art and personal growth is presented as intimate and necessary; without art, Wolf says, ‘we have no outlet for human expression or an understanding of our own humanity.’ The blank canvas is presented as an opportunity to redefine critical elements of the self, and the revision of a painting as an opportunity for a do-over. That the fear of failure can stifle creativity and self-expression is a recurrent point; in response, failure is “repainted” so that it becomes a step to success. With attractive illustrations, the memoir Perpetual Conflict is about overcoming self-destructive behaviors and achieving self-knowledge through creativity.”
—Foreword Clarion Review
“Perpetual Conflict is a must-read for anyone who wants to see what is possible when you face your fears, feel your feelings, and take inspired action. So much of Victoria Wolf’s life journey mirrored my own, as an artist who came later in life to the canvas. She captures the loud voice of the inner critic as well as the pride in seeing her own skill grow across the months of staring down and befriending the blank canvas. There is no doubt that she is a life artist who cares deeply about her work, her family, and her place in the world. This is an honest and inspiring reflection on one woman’s creative travels to owning her artistry. There is a universal quality to this personal memoir that will allow any reader to identify with Wolf’s story.”
—Dr. Minette Riordan, Creative Depth Coach and Artist
www.MinetteRiordan.com
“Creative decision-making often serves as a fulcrum for making personal changes. This mode of manifestation enables the reader to relate to each struggle and accomplishment. This dynamic is one of the primary strengths of the book. Repainting a picture, initially seen as a failure, becomes a new way of envisioning. When trying to paint the perfect baseball, her response to feedback demonstrates realized changes. At the same time, her journey is in no way a linear progression. There is no Oz at the end of her Yellow Brick Road, but there is a substantive difference. Perpetual Conflict by Victoria R. Wolf will engage every reader committed to self-growth and appreciative of hard-won self-realization.”
—Constance Stadler, Readers’ Favorite
“Perpetual Conflict was such a dynamic and reflective book to read. Using her artwork to define her emotional state, Victoria takes us on a journey through her life as she weaves personal reflections that describe the motivation behind each piece.
“It’s not often that a book drives us through both deep personal insights and business dynamics within the same pages. It was refreshing to experience this business story in such a human way. I felt I understood the emotional stakes for Victoria’s personal journey as I read the story of her tumultuous path in a gluten-free business.”
—Krystal Covington, MBA, CEO of Women of Denver
& Marketing Consultant
“Perpetual Conflict focuses very much on Victoria’s inner voices, whom she calls Bleak Victoria and Sunny Victoria. Bleak Victoria condemns and criticizes, whereas Sunny Victoria is kind, optimistic, and empowering. This duality is a conflict that nearly all readers can relate to. While reading Perpetual Conflict, I could better discern between my inner voices of condemning judgment and cheerful optimism. This is partly due to Victoria R. Wolf’s writing, which is inclusive of the reader and dissects issues of universal importance. Another central theme is hope. Victoria writes that throughout decades of struggling and sadness, the one thing that kept her going was the hope that the next day might be better than the current one. Perpetual Conflict is an extremely open and honest account of a woman’s journey to freedom from feelings of unworthiness and of being a failure and, ultimately, a journey to fulfillment and happiness. A book to lose yourself in, and for many, possibly to find yourself in.
—Paul Zietsman, Readers’ Favorite
“In Perpetual Conflict: A Journey of Art and Redemption, a graphic designer chronicles in raw detail the intense emotions stirred up when she begins to paint.
After three months of painful self-confrontation, Wolf finally finds some freedom of expression in her painting and some hard-won discoveries about the source of her mental anguish…
“Readers who enjoy frank confessionals or share Wolf’s issues might find her struggles illustrative. Those who have already won their own fragile self-acceptance or who cherish the artistic process for its joy and messy self-discovery might flinch from Wolf’s howls of pain.”
—BlueInk Review
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